Hurghada's position on the Red Sea makes it the launchpad for one of Egypt's most dramatic excursions: the Cairo and Pyramids run (roughly 12 hours by air or road). For shorter trips, the five-hour drive to Luxor's East Bank packs serious sightseeing into a half day. Bedouin desert experiences take you into the Eastern Desert hills for a different side of Egypt altogether.
Excursions departing from Hurghada
Hurghada Excursions
Luxor's temples by road, Cairo and the Pyramids in a long day, or an evening in the Bedouin desert
LengthFull & half day
From£12 / person
PickupHotel included
GuideEgyptologist
There are 14 excursions leaving from Hurghada at present, covering reef boats, desert evenings and long journeys to the Nile valley. The cheapest starts from £12 per person, and the full list, with durations, sits in the table below.
The best excursion in Hurghada is the one somebody else has organised for you. Our people on the ground here have done exactly that since 1988.Egypt Discovery · in Egypt from 1988
What you'll see
Hurghada, stop by stop
Two or three of these stops fit into one unhurried day. Your guide chooses the combination to suit your energy, what you most want to see and the time of year.
01
A day in Luxor
Luxor lies about four hours to the south by road. One long day with a private Egyptologist takes in Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the temple of Hatshepsut. You leave before dawn and get back late, and most guests rate it the best outing on this coast.
02
The Pyramids and Cairo
A long day away from the beach that covers the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Fly for the easier journey, or take the overnight coach to spend less. Your own Egyptologist is waiting when you arrive, so the sightseeing begins at once.
03
Giftun Island and Orange Bay
This is the view on most Red Sea postcards. A boat carries you out to pale sandbars and clear, shallow water around Giftun and Orange Bay, with time to swim, lunch on deck and an hour or two ashore. For many visitors it is the day on the water they remember best.
04
A day's snorkelling by boat
Spend the day on a traditional wooden boat that moors at several snorkelling spots above coral gardens, where reef fish are everywhere and a turtle sometimes drifts past. Lunch is cooked aboard between dips. No way of seeing the reef asks less effort.
05
Desert safari with a Bedouin evening
Ride out by quad bike or 4x4 into the Eastern Desert as the light turns gold, then stop at a Bedouin camp for tea and supper under a sky free of street lamps. It shows you the other half of a Red Sea stay, the part away from the water.
Every Hurghada excursions
How you could fill the day
Fares are quoted per person and come straight from our live booking system, so they never go out of date.
Every Hurghada excursion at a glance
On the water
Time at sea is the real draw of the Red Sea coast. These boat days take you out to the coral with a guide, either alongside other guests or on a charter for your own party.
Dolphin House Snorkelling Boat Trip from Hurghada
A day on a shared boat to the reefs north of Hurghada, where wild spinner dolphins are often seen. There are two snorkelling stops and lunch on board, and no more than 30 guests travel together. The dolphins are wild, so sightings are common but never guaranteed, and the crew does not chase, feed or touch them. The sail takes around 90 minutes each way.
From £428 Hours
Paradise Island Boat Day from Hurghada with Snorkelling
A boat day to Paradise Island on the Giftun reserve: a snorkelling stop on the way, about three hours on a white-sand beach with sunbeds and shallow water, and lunch on board. Entrance to the island, a sunbed and a parasol are included. It is an easy day for families and anyone who prefers the beach to the reef. The boat is shared with no more than 40 guests.
From £808 Hours
Hurghada Semi-Submarine and Glass-Bottom Boat Reef Trip
See the reef without getting wet. A semi-submarine with a glass-walled cabin below the waterline follows the reef wall for two hours, with a snorkelling stop of about 30 minutes for those who want to swim. Hotel transfers are included and the vessel carries up to 40 guests. It suits young children, grandparents and non-swimmers, and you choose a 09:00, 11:30 or 14:00 sailing.
From £183 Hours
Try Scuba in Hurghada: Two Guided Beginner Dives by Boat
A first taste of scuba with no licence needed. You spend a full day on a dive boat with a briefing, two shallow guided dives with an instructor beside you, and lunch on board, with snorkelling possible between dives. Each instructor looks after no more than two guests, the first dive goes to about 6 metres and the second to no more than 12. The boat is shared with up to 20 guests, and divers must be 10 or over.
From £168 Hours
Private Boat Hire from Hurghada: Giftun Reefs and Lunch
Hire a boat and crew for your own party and set the pace of the day. The skipper takes you to two or three reefs off Hurghada for snorkelling, with a swim off an island beach if the sea allows, and lunch is cooked on board. Up to 15 people can come, nobody else is on the boat, and a snorkelling guide looks after the water time. Transfers and marine park fees are included.
From £837 Hours
Orange Bay Snorkeling & Beach Escape – Giftun Island, Hurghada
Snorkel at Orange Bay on Giftun Island, 30–40 minutes by speedboat from Hurghada Marina. We operate morning, small-group speedboat departures to avoid the busiest visitor hours. Guided snorkelling focuses on shallow fringing reefs; the schedule includes guided time in the water and relaxed beach time on the sand. We are a licensed Egyptian tour operator and run both shared and private departures. Unlike large resort launches, we keep boat groups small to reduce crowding at popular reef sites. Honest trade-offs: shade on the beach is limited, seas can be choppy and summer departures mean an earlier start to beat the heat.
From £17
In the desert
Just inland from the hotels, the Eastern Desert opens up. Go out on a quad bike or in the saddle, then wind down over mint tea beside a Bedouin fire.
Quad Biking and Bedouin Dinner Evening from Hurghada
An afternoon and evening in the desert behind Hurghada: a guided quad-bike ride in convoy, a stop at a Bedouin camp for tea and a short camel ride, then a barbecue dinner and folklore show after sunset. You ride one quad each, or share one on request, and a helmet is provided. The group is shared with no more than 30 guests, and riders must be 6 or over.
From £375 Hours
Horse or Camel Riding near Hurghada: Desert to Shore
A one-hour guided ride from a stable outside Hurghada, on a horse or a camel, through open desert and down to the shoreline. You choose the morning or afternoon pick-up, which is timed for the cooler part of the day. Beginners are welcome, the stable matches the animal to the rider, a helmet is provided and the guide sets the pace. The group is limited to 12, and riders must be 6 or over.
From £233 Hours
Hurghada Jeep Safari and Telescope Adventure
This excursion pairs a jeep safari in the Hurghada area with telescope-based observation. Hurghada is a Red Sea coastal city in Egypt, with desert terrain inland. The product name confirms the two main activities, but the route, telescope targets and timing have not been provided. Unlike a city sightseeing tour, the focus is desert travel and viewing through a telescope. Hotel pickup and drop-off, meals, refreshments and entrance fees are not confirmed. Please check the meeting point, departure and return times, group size and any age or mobility requirements before booking.
From £24
Long day trips
Luxor and Cairo can both be reached from Hurghada, though each asks for a long day. Pick the flight, the coach or a night in Luxor, depending on how much road you can stand.
Luxor Excursion from Hurghada: Valley of the Kings and Karnak
A long day by coach from Hurghada to Luxor and back, with an Egyptologist guide for the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak. The vehicle is shared with no more than 16 other travellers and lunch in a local restaurant is included. It is 15 hours door to door, with about four hours of driving each way, so it suits people happy to swap sleep for a great deal of history.
From £7415 Hours
Luxor Two-Day Excursion from Hurghada with Hotel Night
An overnight stay turns Luxor from a dash into a proper visit. You reach Karnak and Luxor Temple on the first afternoon, sleep in a 4-star hotel, then cross to the west bank at first light for the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon before the heat builds. The coach from Hurghada, your Egyptologist guide, the room and the listed meals are all part of the price, and the group never exceeds 16.
From £3402 Days
Private Cairo Excursion from Hurghada by Air: Pyramids and GEM
Fly from Hurghada to Cairo in the early morning and home again that evening, with a private Egyptologist guide and your own vehicle on the ground. The day takes in the Giza pyramids, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum, with lunch near Giza. We book and include the domestic flights. It is a long day, about 15 hours, but it avoids a night on the road.
From £43015 Hours
Budget Cairo Excursion from Hurghada by Coach: Pyramids
The lowest-cost way to see the Giza pyramids from the Red Sea: an overnight coach to Cairo, a guided day at the pyramids, the Sphinx and a museum, then the drive home the same evening. The coach is shared with up to 40 guests. It is a very long day, about six hours each way on the road, so it is for those who value the price over comfort.
From £7020 Hours
In town
For a gentler start on land, Hurghada itself offers a marina, a mosque, the old quarter and a bustling market.
Who these excursions suit
- Families with childrenGentle boat and beach outings, with children from 2 to 11 charged half fare.
- Nervous swimmersGlass-bottom and semi-submarine trips let you watch the reef without getting wet.
- Culture seekers on a sun holidayLuxor and Cairo can be done in one stretch, or across two days with a night away.
- Parties travelling togetherHire a boat or vehicle exclusively for your group; the per-head cost eases as numbers grow.
Egypt Discovery is an Egyptian-run tour operator, trading since 1988 under ETAA Licence No. 718 (Category A). We carry IATA accreditation and keep six offices across Egypt: Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh.
Sort the rest of your holidayWhere to stay in HurghadaTransfers from Hurghada airport
Worth knowing beforehand
The practical bits
What to wear
Mosques and churches ask for shoulders and knees to be covered. Wear sturdy closed shoes, as the ground is rough stone in places and soft sand in others.
Tipping
Most guests give their guide about £2–4 for the day, with something smaller for the driver. It is your choice entirely, since the excursion fare already covers everything.
Heat & water
Bring at least a litre and a half of water each. By ten in the morning there is little shade at the sites, which is why we set off early: it is cooler as well as quieter.
Cameras & fees
Some sites ask for a camera ticket at the entrance, and a handful of tombs and inner rooms carry their own charge. Ordinary admission to each site is part of your fare.
What guests ask us
Hurghada excursions, answered
- Do you collect us from our hotel?
- We do, and it costs nothing extra. A driver collects you from your Hurghada hotel, or from the Nile cruise dock where that applies, and brings you back afterwards. You will find your guide waiting in the lobby, and should your plans shift, the local office behind the excursion can rearrange things that same day.
- Which months suit Hurghada best?
- The kindest weather falls between October and April, when days are warm, evenings are cool and walking round the sites is a pleasure. From May to September the heat builds, so excursions set off early and are done before midday, often with quieter sites and gentler prices as a reward. Hurghada excursions run in every month of the year.
- Is it safe, and can we bring the children?
- It is safe, and children are welcome. Our team has worked in Egypt since 1988, with offices across the country and someone on call day and night, and every one of our excursions uses guides and drivers we have checked ourselves. With youngsters along, the guide slows the pace and tells the stories at their level, and child seats or a shorter day can be arranged on request.
- Are children charged the full fare on Hurghada excursions?
- Shared excursions are free for under-twos, half price for ages 2 to 11, and the adult fare from 12 upwards. A private excursion carries a per-head price that falls as more people join.
- How close to departure can I reserve a Hurghada excursion?
- Online reservations close 48 hours before the start. After that, drop us a request instead and the Hurghada team will tell you what is still possible.
- What is the cancellation position?
- Tell us at least three days beforehand and the whole payment is returned. From three days to 24 hours out, half comes back. Cancelling in the final 24 hours returns nothing.
- Is Luxor or Cairo realistic as one day out of Hurghada?
- Luxor lies roughly four hours away by road each way, so it is a very full day. Flight-based Cairo excursions have domestic flights built into the fare, sparing you the long drive.
Arrange your Hurghada day outSend us your dates.
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Private Egyptologist guide, hotel pickup, clear pricing in GBP. We've arranged Egypt excursions for British travellers since 1988, with 24/7 in-country support from offices.
Full credit or a refund if you let us know more than 72 hours before pickup* · we reply within 30 minutes in Cairo office hours
*Refunds are less bank charges. Pre-issued flight or train tickets can't be refunded. Full policy